Signal light reflector



Jan. 12, 1932. v. l.. oEsTNAEs ET AL. I 1534079 SIGNAL LIGHT REFLECTOR Y Filed Aug. so, 1.929

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invention relates to signal light redoctors end to meens hy which parts oi signel reector structure units may he united and held together ond hy which such units may; he mountednpon end supported hy a sup-'- p :my means; and although the invention is ustrnted es being embodied 1n a triple`Y` reector s tof hollow typeit is .to loe understood that, with respect to certain tentures thereoi, it may he embodied in reector its oil other character and structure.

ln redectors oi the character illustrated it is the usuel practice to provide a cover lote oi gloss which overlies the vopen side o the reector., and it is an object of the invention to provide n device for uniting the cover plate with the reector and holding the sence in ted cooperative relation therewith, and also to provide the said `device with means vvherehy the redector may he mounted upon end supported hy e support vtherefor. llt also is en ohject oi the invention to provide a light reector unit with emernher surrounding the edge oi thesaid reflector an having projections thereon which are edep "i to he placed in engagement with a supporting member hy which the said reflectormay he held and supported in `muy position desired muse.

Another object ofthe inventionisto rovide e reector of novel .construction'ne uding means Whereby'devlces for fastening a cover plate thereon end for iasteningseid le hector to a supporting means may loesecu'red readily thereon.

To the'foregoing and other ends the mvenA 1 tion comprehends the construction and errangement of parts as hereinafter described in detail', particularly'pointed out in the claims and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein is illustrated an emhodi-- ment thereof in the form which at present is preferred hy us. However, it. will be understood thet the invention is susceptible of emhodiment ini-other forms of construction then n that shown and that changes in the details of construction may be made within'the scope of I' "the'claimstvithout departing'from the inven- .so tion. l

Hort @it mentary angular portions, as indicated inthe ln the drawings: ,Y Fig. l is a view in front elevatmn of a lightsignel redector constructed in accordance with the invention and also showing a fragportion oi e support for the rehector; v

" Fig. 2 is e transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig., 3 is e view in' rear elevation of the structure shown in F1' l end 2; and f Fig. i is a view in gint elevation showing e, vplurality ot redector units `mounted upon e support in such relation to each. other-as to form the capital letter T.'

doctor. stead of employing reectors of.

triple type es illustrated it Will be undertiti stood that redectors of other character vmay he employed, and also that instead of the redectors heing hollow as illustrated they `may consist of solid tetrahedral bodies of glass, es is known. The portions 2 and the light-redecting surfaces-thereon oi the reector unit l ere arranged about en axis which extends centrallyof the structure.

- The said portions 2 'terminate and merge into a cylindrical portion 3 of the reHector unit, which is concentric with the axial line of the seid reecting surfaces. The cylindrical portion comprises narrow and elon eted ewmg, the a ices ofthe said angler portion 4corres on lng to the points of meeting of thevtop e ges of adjoining reflecting surfaces.

The cylindrical portion 3.0i the redector unit l is provided with a laterally. and outwardly extending circular flange 4. The reflectory 1s 0f glass or any other suitable transparent or semi-transparent material; rlhe seid cover plete may be clear, or it may be colored, or

'provided with e cover plate 5 which consists the colored effect may be obtained by the is beveled forwardly,

- has been made previously.

placing upon either the inner or the outer surfaces thereof or upon both surfaces a coating of soine colored material through Which light will pass. Itwill be noted that the outer portion of the periphery of the plate as indicated'at 6. The cover palte rests upon an annular washer 7 which is seated against the outer or iront side of the lateral flange 4 to which reference The washer 7 should consist of material such as'rubber, felt or the like, which will serve as a cushioning.

means between the frangible coverplate 5 and the flange l of the reiiector 1. For the purpose of holding the cover plate 5 in position upon the iiange el at the outer edge of the reflector 1 we havel provided a holding ring 10, preferably of sheet instal, which in cross section is oi a shape substantially as shown in Td ig. 2 oi the drawings. 7lhe inner side or" the iront edge oi the ring engages or contacts with the beveled portion 6 oi the cover plate 5, while the rear inwardly eX- tending edge portion 11 engages with the under or rear side of the iiange Ll. 'lhe portion l1 of the ring 10 extends very nearly at right angles to the plane oi the intermediate portion thereof, so that it readily overlies and contacts with the rear side or the dang-e Ll. The presence oi the cylindrical portion 3 at the iront edge of the reiiector unit 'l permits the part 10 to he o' circular orin, which simplics and reduces the cost of inanutiad ture thereof and oi the redector structure as a whole.

ln the operation of placing the ring 1l) in position encompassing the flange 1l and the periphery oi the cover plate 5 the outer edge portion oi" the said ring in the iirst instance extends in a direction substantially 'at right angles to the plane oi the inwardly extending4 -flange-like portion 11 and oi the cover plate 5. After the parts have been placed in the position as shown in Fig. 2, with the @ange Ll and the periphery o'r` the cover plate 5 in position upon the inner side oi the ring 10, the outer or iront edge oi the latter is then spun or otherwise worked'over into position against the beveled outer edge portion 8 of the cover plate 5 so that the latter will be retained thereby in the position shown. A narrow liange-like portion 12 extends rearwardly from the inner edge ofl the portion il and is provided at intervals with projections 13. rThese projections normally extend in the direction indicated by the dash and dot lines 1li so that the said redector, the said projections, and the rearwardly extending flange 12 may oe extended through an opening 15 which may be provided in a plate 16 of metal or other suitable she-et .material After the projections have been extended through an opening such as that indicated at 15 they maybe bent laterally into the position as indicated at 17 in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. ln such position they engage the rear side-of thev plate 16 and retain t e reect'or in position thereon. The edgel of the sheet 16 surrounding the openin 15 1s located betweenA the said projections w en bent into the position as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 and the adjoining portions-of the inwardly extended shoulder/like portion 11 of the ring l0.

These reflector units are adapted for use singly orV they may be supported in groups in suchrelation to each other as to form letters, as is indicated in Fig. 4 oi the drawing, wherein they are shown as being so related to each other as to form the capital letter T. It will be understood that they maybe so related to each other as to forni any other letter and that any number of letters may be `formed in the necessary relation to each other to spell any word which may be selected.

lt will be apparent that light reflector units oi the character illustrated inay be employed not only upon stationary supports for indicating a road or trailic condition or other infor mation but also may be employed upon automobiles or other vehicles, particularly upon the rear ends thereof, so that the presence of such automobiles may he rnade irnovn to those occupying other automobiles or like vehicles which may be approachingthe same. approaching automobiles 'or other vehicles being provided with headlights, the of light 'from the said headlights passing through the cover plate 5 and irripinging upon the light redector surfaces 2 would be renee-ted loaclr, in mindou/n manner, toward the reviens pants ci such approaching a 1trunobiles or other vehicles.

Reflector units ci the character indicated may he used in place or instead oli the ordinary vvell lrnown tail-lights 'for automobil-es or may be used to suppl-ement such lights, their presence being particularly desirable case the usual or ordinary tail-light should become extinguished..

lt will be seen that by our invention we have provided ineens which oI crates to hold the reflector 1 and the cover p ate 5 together, and which also may be employed R'or effecting the mounting ci the said reiiector upon e. snpport therefor.

Having thus described our invention, 'what We claim and desire to secure by Letters ligotent is:

1. A light signal redeotor structure, coinprising a light-rellecting unit having reectino: suriaces arranged about a central axis, the said unit terminating at its :front edge in an outwardly extending ange, a member of ring shape mounted upon the outer edge ci the said redactor unit and embracing the said flange. the rear edge portion oi said member being bent inwardly so as to engage the under side or the said hangs, a support for the i ported thereby.

said structure, and projections provided upon the rear edge ofi said ring for engaging the said support whereby the said structure may be retained upon the said support and sup- 2. A light signal reflector structure, comprising a hollow light-reecting unitl 'the front end portion of which is circular in cross section and is provided with a laterally and i@ outwardly extending flange at its front edge.

a cover plate mounted in front of the said reflector unit and resting upon the said flange', and means in embracing relation to the outer edges of the said flange and cover plate for holding the said cover plate and reflector unit in united relation to each other, the saidmeans having projections which extend'rearwardly from its rear edge for attaching the said unit to a su port therefor. n

8. A light reillctor signal structure, comprising a hollow reflector unit, the front side of which terminates in a laterally and outwardly extending lange portion, a cover plate mounted over the front side of the said reflector and resting upon the said flange portion, means encircling the said flange and the periphery of the said cover plate and engaging the same to hold the cover plate in united relation to the said reiiector unit, a support for the said reflector unit, and the rear edge of said encircling means being provided with rearwardly extending projections for connecting the said redactor unit with the said Support.

4. A. light reliector signal structure, comprising a hollow redactor unit terminating at its front end in a circular portion having a laterally and outwardly extending flange, a cover plate cling the open front end vof the said redector, a ring extending around the periphery of the said flange and of the said cover plate, the inner side of the said ring being concave and engaging the said flange and the said cover plate to hold the two in united relation to each other, and the said ing and bent around the edge thereof to retain the said structure in the said opening.

6.A light reflector signal structure, comprising a. hollow light reflector unit terminating at its front end in a circular portion having a laterally and outwardly extending flange, a cover sheet oi material through which lightv is permitted to pass which is seated againstathe said'ange, means encircling the peripheries of the said sheet and of the said flange and engaging the said sheet and ila-nge to retain the former in united relation with the latter, the said encircling means being provided with projections at intervals upon its rear edge, a support for the said structure comprisingametalplate having an opening eending therethrough. of a diameter substantially equal to the circle in which the said projections are located7 whereby the latter may be inserted rearwardly through-said opening and bent laterally and outwardly over the edges of the said opening to retain the said unit upon the said supporting plate.

ln testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we have hereunto signed our names this 27 th day of August.' 1929.

VICTOR L. OESTNAES. yRECHLD W. LUCE.

ring being provided with projections upon its rear edge.

5. A light signal reflector structure, comprising a hollow light reflector unit terminating at its frontend in a circular portion having a laterally and outwardly extending iiange, a cover plate of material of a character to permit light to pass therethrough mounted upon the said flange, a ring encircling the said flange and the periphery of the said cover plate and operating t0 hold the said cover plate in unitedrelation to the said lange, the rear edge of the said ring being provided with projections located at intervals, and a support for the said structure, the said supportcomprising a sheet member having an opening therethrough into which said unit is inserted fromthe front toward the rear, and the said projections adapted to be extended rearwardly through said open- 

